Chapter 82 Do Me a Big Favor
"Sister-in-law, why did we kowtow to the county magistrate's wife that day?"
Yu Jing bit the tip of the pen and asked her sister-in-law.
Chen Qi helped her dry a piece of paper she had just written on and blew gently on it.
"Because she's an official, and we're merchants. The official controls the merchants, just like... Grandmother controls Daddy. You see, Daddy kowtows to Grandmother, and we kowtow to the official."
"Ah, then even at my old age, Daddy still kowtows to Grandmother. So, no matter how big our business gets, we still have to kowtow to the government, right?"
"Yes, Yujing is really smart."
Chen Qi praised the jade mirror, but in her mind, she couldn't help but recall what Madam Huang said when she held her hand that day.
It turned out that she wanted Yu Jing to marry into her family and become her granddaughter-in-law.
Did she really fall in love with the underage Yu Jing?
not necessarily.
That’s because Yu Jing is Xie Yuduo’s biological sister.
The wealth of a girl's father and brothers thus affects her marriage prospects.
Seeing that his family was the richest in the city, there was no merchant in the county with better business or greater capital than the Xie family on Silver Lion Street.
In Pingshan County, if Yu Jing didn't marry into an official family, she would have to marry someone of lower status.
But if Yu Jing married a family that only cared about wealth and status, she would inevitably suffer injustice if she couldn't get her husband's true love...
As Chen Qi thought about it, she suddenly felt a little self-deprecating.
When she was still waiting to be married, her engagement was broken off and she went back and forth to look for many men, but she never worried about these things. She only looked at the character and ability of the man, and was not picky about his family background.
When I came to Yu Jing, I had to think carefully and choose the family background.
My sister-in-law was right. She truly treated Yu Jing as her own daughter.
…
In the afternoon, Chen Qi was checking the account book that Yu Jing had calculated, when she suddenly heard a noise from the window and hurried out.
Sure enough, it was Aunt Yun.
She had just put two large melons on the windowsill and had not had time to leave when she saw Chen Qi coming out so quickly. She was slightly stunned, then lowered her head, turned around and walked towards the backyard.
"Aunt, please stay. I have something to tell you."
Hearing this, Aunt Yun still took two steps forward, paused for a moment, and finally stopped.
Chen Qi invited her aunt into the house to talk.
Although she followed over, she only stood outside the doorway, with her head down, waiting for the Second Mistress to speak.
Seeing this, Chen Qi didn't force her and asked her to wait a moment.
Aunt Yun was about thirty years old, with long arms and legs, and was half a head taller than her. She only looked shorter because she was very thin and always kept her head down.
Her clothes were very old and the colors had faded, but they were neat and clean. Even after being busy in the kitchen for so long, they did not look dirty.
Chen Qi could see that she must have been a capable and clever girl back then.
If you look closely, you can see that she was beautiful when she was young. There is indeed a scar on her forehead. Although it has been a long time, you can still see the tragedy of that time.
Chen Qi returned to her room and took out a pile of clothes she had prepared in advance. They were carefully selected by her and were all in low-key and calm colors.
"Thank you for your gifts, Auntie. I have two pieces of clothing here that I haven't worn yet. Auntie's figure is not much different from mine. If you don't mind, you can take them and wear them."
In fact, the clothes were brand new. Chen Qi was afraid that she would not want them, so she deliberately said that she had worn them herself.
Aunt Yun just looked up and waved her hand, indicating no, and was about to leave.
Chen Qi hurriedly continued.
"I have something to bother you with, Auntie. If you don't agree, I won't be able to ask for your help."
Aunt Yun really stopped and came back to listen to her instructions.
"After my younger brother went to school, he was able to recognize most of the characters and did very well in his studies. The teacher always praised him, saying that he was smarter than my younger brother and that he was a good student. If he could continue studying for a long time, he might be able to earn a good family background."
A good family background naturally leads to success in the imperial examination.
Since ancient times, businessmen have been inferior to officials. If Yu Suo could study and pass the imperial examination, the mother and son would have truly made it.
When Aunt Yun heard Chen Qi praising her son's academic performance, she bit her lip and tears welled up in her eyes.
Normally, no one told her this.
She didn't often talk to people, and the servants in the kitchen didn't understand these things.
Yu Shuo was young, and although he loved going to school, he couldn't really tell her if he was doing well in school. He would only occasionally tell her that he had learned a few more characters and could recite a few poems. Hearing this, she was very happy.
Her only wish and hope in this turbulent life is that her child has a good background.
"Thank you, Second Grandma."
This was the first time Chen Qi heard her speak clearly. Her voice was low and hoarse, but very clear.
It’s not that she can’t speak on weekdays, she just doesn’t want to speak.
"I really don't deserve it. I'm a junior. Aunt, just call me Qi'er."
Seeing that she wanted to talk to herself, Chen Qi quickly struck while the iron was hot.
"Auntie, you know, we usually have a carriage to take the children to and from school, and I go along sometimes. But lately, I've been so busy with household chores that I sometimes can't spare the time. Yu Shuo is still young, and with all the traffic on the road, it's rainy and windy, so he needs someone to look after him personally. I see, there are so many people in the kitchen at home now, why don't you help me take him to and from school? If you can do me this great favor, Qi'er is here, and I thank you in advance. If you don't agree, I won't dare to ask it again."
Chen Qi stepped forward and stuffed the pile of new clothes into her hands.
The aunt held the clothes and didn't say anything for a long time. Finally, her hair bun moved slightly, as if she nodded, or maybe she just lowered her head, then turned and left.
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